Electric battery.



PATENTBD FEB. 17, 1903.

v. G. APPLE. ELECTRIC BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. 1901.

30 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VINCENT G. APPLE, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

ELECTRIC BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 72 5 dated February 17,1903.

Application filed June 3, 1901. Serial No. 63,012. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LVINCENT G. APPLE, of Dayton, in the county ofMontgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Batteries; and I hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric batteries.

The object of my invention is to provide a storage batteryin which thecontaining-cell is constructed integrally with one set of the elements01' plates of which the battery is composedthat is to say, that eitherthe negative -or the positive plates are made an integral part of thecontaining-cell.

Another object of my invention is to provide a corresponding set ofelements or plates cast, forced, or otherwise formed together in oneintegral construction and when completed are adapted to alternate withthe plates that are made integral with the said cell. The effect of thisconstruction is to economize space and weight and to save the expense'of providing the ordinary delicate insulating con taining-cell.

In the drawings, Figure l is a broken-away vertical section of one of mycells, taken on lines 1 l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a fragmentof the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the series of platesadapted to be inserted in the said cell. Fig. 4 is a brokenawayelevation showing three of the insertable elements as they appear whenjoined together.

In all of the views the same letters of reference indicate similarparts.

A is a containing-cell made, preferably, of lead or an alloy of lead orof any material that can be used in the construction of grids forstorage batteries. at shows the side of the said cell ribbed vertically.Between the ribs the active material is to be confined. These ribs maybe placed longitudinally in position and the active material retainedthereby. a is a metallic partition made, preferably, of the samematerial of which the walls of the cell A are composed. a is the endwall of both cells. a and a are the side walls of the said cells.

1) represents a series of inseparable electrodes or plates joined by theconnecting-bar I), cast or forced integrally therewith. 1) representsprojections from the-said plates, any one of which may form the terminalto which contacts maybe made, or this projection may be limited to anyone of the plates for the purpose of affording a general terminal forthe said group of plates. c is a series of horizontal rubbe r stripswhich arQaid in the bottom of the said compartments between thestationary electrodes-thereof and which afford a means for supportingthe removable plates 1). b. represents similar verticallypla'ced stripsof hard rubber or other insulating material having grooves into whichthe edges of the plates 19 are adapted to be contained. By means ofthese insulating-strips the plate I) is supported at the bottom andsides midway between the stationary plates that are made integral withthe cell. In Fig. 2, c is a space in which one of these groovedinsulators has been left out to show the space between the plates. 7

The plates at are made integral with the containingrcase and join theside walls thereof. The bars of which a plate is composed consist of aseries of parallel angled strips,

extending from side to side and placed equal distances apart. Betweenthese bars the active material is to be tilled in. The exactconstruction of the plate, however, is not important to this invention.The bars may be run in a vertical oioblique direction, and the platesinstead of being composed of bars may be made like a grid to contain aseries of perforations or other indentations. It is important, however,that the said plates shall be made metallijcall'y integral with thecontaining-case, and it is essential that the space between the platesshall not be liquid-tight.

Batteries have been made by me in accordance with the drawings of thisapplication; but the specific method and means for making the saidbatteries will form subject-mattor for other applications for LettersPatent. In Fig. 2 I have shown two cells contained in a single case, theentire structure being made of a metal adapted to be used for theelements or plates of a storage battery. One.

of the sets of removable plates, which are all of a like polarity, mayform one terminal of ISO thisdouble-unitbattery. The corresponding cellwill be of opposite polarity, while the re maining cell will be of theopposite polarity from that of the first-mentioned cell and its set ofremovable plates will be of opposite polarity from that of thefirst-mentioned set of removable plates. In this manner the differenceof potential between the said movable plates will be two times that of asingle cell.

The containing-case A may be made into two cells, such as I have justdescribed, or into one cell. In the event that two cells are provided ina single structure of the said re-- taining-case the electromotive forceof the unit thus formed will be practically four volts. In the eventthat a single cell is used the greatest potential di iference will beevidenced between the removable plates and the containing-case, whichwill be practically two volts or thereabout, as in the ordinary leadbattery when constructed as described.

A great advantage resulting from the construction which I have justdescribed is due to the fact that the series of stationary plates andthe series of removable plates are each formed into an integralhomogeneous whole, the removable plates being cast or otherwise formedtogether by means of bar 0 when the said plates are produced, thestationary plates ct being cast or otherwise formed integral with thecontaining-cell at the time when the said cell is produced, and as aresult of this construction there are no artificial joints in the entirebattery.

I have shown'several of the plates partly filled with active materialand have left it out of the other parts and plates for the purpose ofshowing the construction thereof more plainly.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an electric battery, the combination with a conductingcontaining-case, of a vertical series of lateral bars joined to thesides of said case constituting a supporting structure for activematerial, a series of said structures in said case, and a series ofremovable plates or grids in alternating position with said barstructures, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric battery the combination with a conductingcontaining-case, of a vertical series of lateral bars joined to thesides of said case constituting a supporting structu re for activematerial, a series of said structures in said case, a series ofremovable plates or grids in alternating position with said barstructures, and supports on the inner walls of said case for carryingactive material, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric battery the combination with a conductingcontaining-case, of a vertical series of lateral bars joined to thesides of said case constituting a supporting structure for activematerial, dividing said case into two compartments, and a removableplate in each compartment, substantially as set forth.

t. An electric battery comprising, a conducting, containing-caseprovided with two compartments, a group of supporting-plates, or grids,in each compartment made integral therewith, the groups in therespective compartments being of opposite polarity, a group of removableplates, or grids, of like polarity in each compartment in alternatingposition with the fixed plates thereof and of opposite polarity thereto,the said two groups of removable plates being of opposite polarity withrespect to each other, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric battery the combination with a conductingcontaining-case, of a vertical series of lateral bars joined to thesides of said case constituting a supporting structure for activematerial, a series of removable intervening plates, or grids, andinsulators for holding said removable plates in position, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

VINCENT G. APPLE.

In presence of L. A. ARNOLD, (J. E. TAYLOR.

